The Testing of Pure and False Religion
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - Years ago I collected soda cans and turned them in for money at the recycling center. At the recycling center I would place all the cans I collect on a belt that went through the giant magnet and if the can was collected by the magnet, it was tossed out and wasn’t worth any money. The magnet was testing the soda can, to see if it had value or not. We need to make sure we test our religion to see if it has value or not.
Everyone is religious, because we all are born with a religious instinct, and that instinct is to worship which is in itself religious, but to say that we are religious is not necessarily to say anything good about ourselves. There have been dictators, murderers, child molesters, rapist, etc. that have been known for their diabolical wickedness who have at the same time been religious. As a matter of fact Benito Mussolini, dictator of Italy and founder of fascism, (Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation and race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy) who claimed to be a devout Atheist said he was religious and embraced the Catholic church in order to gain a political advantage. Sadly, many people are engulfed in the blindness of dead religious systems which are totally false.
I have said over the years about leaving Religion and entering Kingdom. I have stated how time is too short for us to be stuck in religiosity, in traditions, and habits having a form of godliness and denying the power of God thinking that we are on our way to heaven, having the spirit of the Nicolaitans whom the Lord hates, when we sit idly by and watch people suffer, hurt, depressed, confused in need of help die because they are trying to live in a world without hope and without God. I have used scriptures about Kingdom versus Religion as Matthew 5:20 “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven”. Matthew 23:4-6 says, “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues”.
In the message I preached last week entitle “Being Concern about Others”. I stated how religion is bound by traditions, habits, customs, etc., but Kingdom is not being hindered by these things but has as a motivating factor joy unspeakable and full of glory which produces within us the incentive to be concerned for others and being the gateway to help for those in need.
When we are talking about a person’s belief in God or not, when we refer or their form of worship we use the phrase religion because the word religion has no one generally accepted definition. Sometimes it is used in reference to worship, whether it be public or private, and sometimes to distinguish between things sacred and those that are profane or worldly. Belief in the immortality of the soul is a concept that is looked upon by some as religious and there are many different types of religion, the Christian religion, the Muslim religion, the Hindu religion, and the Buddhist religion to name just a few.
Today I want to talk about the Testing of Pure and False Religion.
PRAYER: -
SCRIPTURE: - James 1:26-27 “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world”.
The word religion is often associated with what is commonly called salvation. It is interesting that we think of the Bible as a religious book, yet the word religion is not found in the Old Testament and in the New Testament it is only used 3 times and as you have heard me mention before 3 means fullness.
Nowhere in the Bible are we exhorted to preach religion, but always to preach Christ. 2 Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine”. Acts 8:5 says, “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them”. We are not called to preach some religion of rituals and tradition but preach the Word - Jesus Christ.
The first use of the word religion is by Paul as he presented his defense before King Agrippa. In Acts 26:5 he said, “Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee”. Paul was referring to the three sects of the Jews: the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. He said he lived a Pharisee the sect of the three that was the strictest in religious practices and customs. Paul was not talking about a religious creed or a belief, but rather the form of worship and the practice of the rituals and traditions, because the Jews placed great amount of importance on practice rather than doctrine on ritualistic worship rather than a belief.
The second use of the word religion was also by Paul in Galatians 1:13 he says, “For ye have heard of my conversion in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it”. We know of how Paul inflicted and persecuted the Christians before his conversion. Before his conversion, when he is called Saul, he was operating in religion and not relationship, he practiced the religion of his fathers a religion of iron rules, laws, and traditions inherited from his Hebrew lineage. These iron rules of practice are what caused him to relentlessly persecute the followers of Christ. When writing to the Galatians he referred to religion in the same manner as he did before King Agrippa, as rules of practice rather than doctrine or of belief.
The 3rd time religion is used is found in our text of James 1:26-27 “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world”. Here James is using the term religion in the same way that Paul did, as being ritualistic, traditionalistic, or ceremonial is worthless if they are not able to control their tongue and if they don’t put into action Love.
What is the difference between Pure and False Religion?
Let me break this down. Testing False Religion
False religion is hypocritical. A hypocrite is one who tries to appear very religious and holy in the eyes of others, whereas he is just like other men sinful, unregenerate, unchanged. His religion is an outward thing. Matthew 15:8 says, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me”. They know all the words to say, they know how to have the look, they know how to do church, but when it comes to having concern and compassion for others there is none. They are like the Pharisee in Luke 18:10-12 “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess”. Is your religion hypocritical? This is fascism in a nutshell thinking you are better than someone else that they are inferior because of race, gender, religion, etc. Is your religion Hypocritical? If so, then it is false!
False religion is Self-deceiving. Verse 26 says, “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this mans religion is vain”. Deceiveth his own heart - He does not deceive anyone else. Thousands of very religious people are self-deceived; they are regular in their attendance at church, but they know nothing of redemption through the blood of Christ they are stuck in tradition and rituals having a form of godliness 2 Timothy 3:5 says, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away”. Is your religion self-deceiving? If so, then it is false!
False religion is vain meaning having or showing an excessively high opinion of one's appearance, abilities, or worth producing no result; useless, and worthless. As 2 Timothy 3:5 says, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it, from such turn away”. Many people that have this false religion are able to play the part really good, they put on this ritual like they are putting on a pair of pants and are able to take it off just as easily. This false religion has no salvation to it. Acts 4:12 says, “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”. They are actually “living in a world having no hope without God Ephesians 2:12”. I am better than them because I go to this church or that church, I am better because I pay this amount of tithes, and so on. Is your religion vain? If so, then it is false!
The Testing of Pure Religion.
Then in verse 27 says, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world”. This is Love in Action Being concerned for others, being Kingdom minded. We should have compassion for others, those that are hurting, suffering, in need of help.
Jesus said in Matthew 22:39 “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”. This is what James was expressing a love for, and devotion to, God, by compassionate service to and concern for others being a gateway to help for those in need with the examples of the fatherless and widows.
Pure religion is to keep “unspotted from the world.” To be unspotted from the world simply means don’t be worldly, don’t be doing the things the world is doing, to be free from corruption and free from the pollution of sin and unrighteousness. Romans 12:2 says, “Be not conformed to this world”.
Basically, James tells us that pure religion is a devotion to God, demonstrated by love and concern for others, that is not polluted with worldliness, self-centeredness, ritualistic routines. Pure religion consists not only in refraining from evil, which is, remaining unspotted, but to be deliberately and purposefully doing what the Bible says having love one for another, visiting the fatherless, and widows.
Remember Jesus said, “What you have done to the least of these my brethren you have also done unto me”.
The heart of pure religion is not in the garb, the traditions, the rituals but is based in Love in action. When your religion is pure you will live like Christ and act like Christ which is the meaning of Christian not because you go to church, not because you carry the newest translation of the Bible, or because you have all the vestments. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian like going into your garage doesn’t make you a car.
CLOSING: - Let me close my stating the indicators of pure religion according to James 1:26-27.
A controlled tongue. In verse 26 James states false religion is evident if the one who proclaims to be religious is not able to control their tongue. This means being a gossiper Proverbs 20:19 says, “He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips”. If you are a gossip, liar, a talebearer if you constantly use unkind, careless, hurtful words, your religion is false and worthless. We must pray Psalm 141:3 “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips”. When you have been truly born again and the Holy Ghost has control of your tongue then your religion is pure.
A heart of compassion. Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven you”. James 1:27 says, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world”. You can only do this if you have a heart of compassion that is pure religion.
The last indicator is a consecrated life. A consecrated life is the complete and voluntary surrender to God keeping ourselves from being polluted by the world. Saying Lord, I give myself to you, not just my money, but my heart, my mind, my soul belongs to you so that you can use me in any way to glorify you. Speak to me and through me, touch and change people through me for Lord I am yours and I surrender all to you. Everything we do and say must be brought under this test.
SUMMARY: - Pure religion can be summarized in 2 Timothy 2:19-26 says, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will”.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
